LONDON- Air Mauritius (MK) will not resume flights to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) before April 2027, according to an official parliamentary response. The delay is linked to binding slot lease agreements and operational constraints.
The national carrier currently operates London services via London Gatwick Airport (LGW), a shift made in October 2023. While the government supports a Heathrow return in principle, legal and financial realities continue to block any earlier move.
Air Mauritius London Flights
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that, upon assuming office, the government asked the new Air Mauritius management to explore options for returning to Heathrow. The primary barrier is the existing slot lease agreement, which prevents operations at Heathrow before April 2027.
Air Mauritius has held three historical slot pairs at Heathrow since launching services there in 1973. These slots are currently leased to Qatar Airways (QR), generating annual revenue of about US$881,000, roughly Rs 41.4 million. While the lease provides steady income, it also legally restricts Air Mauritius from resuming Heathrow flights before the agreed end date.
The government stated that all possible avenues are being explored to allow a return as soon as conditions permit, but acknowledged that no operations can take place at Heathrow before April 2027 under current agreements, Defi Media reported.
The Strategic Shift From Heathrow to Gatwick
The decision to move London operations from Heathrow to Gatwick was announced on March 17, 2023, and took effect on October 28, 2023. The move followed recommendations by CAPA Consulting, which had advised Air Mauritius as early as 2019 to shift airports to support long-term growth.
Between June 2018 and March 2020, Air Mauritius paid CAPA Consulting approximately US$928,997, equivalent to Rs 36.2 million, for strategic reviews. One key issue at Heathrow was limited growth potential. The airline held only three weekly slot pairs, with no scope to acquire more, capping capacity at three flights per week.
At Gatwick, Air Mauritius could operate daily services, improve schedule flexibility, and reduce operating costs. Heathrow’s higher airport charges, passenger service fees, and announced fee increases from 2024 further weakened the case for staying.
Commercial Connectivity and Cost Pressures
Another factor behind the Gatwick move was limited partnership interest from UK carriers based at Heathrow. This restricted onward connections to other UK cities and European destinations.
Gatwick offered better commercial alignment, leading to a partnership with EasyJet in November 2023. EasyJet’s main hub at Gatwick provides extensive UK and intra-European connectivity, supporting tourism and trade objectives tied to daily London services.
Before final approval, the plan was presented to then Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth in February 2023. The Air Mauritius board, chaired at the time by Marday Venketasamy, endorsed the relocation based on these assessments.
Parliamentary data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance highlights significant financial strain. Between October 2023 and March 2024, the Mauritius–London Gatwick route recorded losses of about Rs 920 million.
For the 2024 to 2025 financial year, losses rose to approximately Rs 1.7 billion. Over 17 months ending March 2025, cumulative losses reached nearly Rs 2.6 billion.
In response, Air Mauritius introduced corrective measures, including reducing Gatwick frequencies from seven to five weekly flights starting May 2025.
Leadership Messages Amid Structural Change
Airport Holdings Ltd CEO Megh Pillay acknowledged the pressure of recent transitions in a New Year message to staff. He emphasized resilience, teamwork, and the importance of trust and transparency during periods of organizational change.
Air Mauritius CEO André Viljoen, appointed in October, framed 2026 as a year for renewal and internal mobilization. He highlighted employees as a central pillar of recovery and thanked operational teams for maintaining service continuity during peak periods.
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